Huh?

The little flying squirrel had awakened Bai Shu's psychic abilities and also given him brief bursts of flight and enhanced jumping power. Combined with his earlier eye evolution, they made him perfectly suited to assassinating enemies.

He had also inherited an ability called [Berserk], which could strengthen his body to a certain degree when facing enemies, though he could not maintain it for long.

This had been a move used by the little flying squirrel with the mutant core. Headquarters had spent a great deal of time killing it. Toward the end, it had used [Berserk], burning through its own energy in exchange for tremendous strength.

One swipe of its claws had left a wound on an ability user's waist deep enough to expose bone.

In the end, it had still been subdued.

Professor Ji told Bai Shu to try activating this skill point when he had the chance and get a good grasp of its duration. As long as he finished off his enemies before Berserk ended, he would be fine.

Wang Weihu, meanwhile, had activated earth abilities. The Amur tiger his mutant core had come from had crushed quite a few people and zombies to death with condensed balls of earth. It had also enjoyed chasing people with those balls, scaring them half to death before crushing and eating them.

Mutant animals had no reason. They had only the instinct to devour.

Although that move was disgusting.

Professor Ji felt it would be useful if Wang Weihu could inherit it, or take it in a different direction and develop earth walls, earth spikes, or something similar. That would be up to him to explore.

In short, their squad's overall level had risen. They would have to figure out the rest themselves, though Headquarters would assign them instructors if it could.

"It feels so incredible! It's only been a little over a month, but the world has changed so much."

Chen Xiaofei said this with a grin.

Wang Weihu nodded too. "It feels like a dream. Earth is gradually starting to feel nothing like Earth."

Bai Shu calmly pushed up his glasses. "Earth is still Earth. Whether it was the Cambrian Period, the Ice Age, modern times, or the apocalypse we're in now, all that's changed is our living environment."

What they needed to do was work hard to adapt. The same went for humanity as a whole.

Fortunately, though.

Humans were creatures with exceptional adaptability and creativity.

When the apocalypse came, they built fortresses.

They rescued their companions.

They worked hard to let everyone live as much like "normal people" as possible, even if the "people" of today were no longer all that normal.

They could not help laughing.

Qin Luo did not care. With his usual devil-may-care attitude, he said, "Every day we stay alive is another day gained. Who cares what kind of world it is? Strength is what matters most when it comes to staying alive!"

Everyone else wholeheartedly agreed.

"We can all level up, so let's teach Little Class Monitor too when we get back. See if we can help her learn how to use her abilities."

"Teach her ourselves? Can we really do that?"

"Do you think her abilities are something we can let people find out about? There are always a few rotten apples at Headquarters. What if they discover her and take her away to keep her under surveillance?"

"We definitely can't let that happen!!"

Qin Luo settled it on the spot. "We'll teach her ourselves! Who doesn't know how to apply what they've learned?"

Bai Shu also said he would help look up information and do everything he could to keep Little Class Monitor safe!

Chen Xiaofei had no idea where he could help, so he said, "Then I'll buy mutant cores for Little Class Monitor. Without her, there's no good food. I'm still counting on her to get me tasty things, so she has to stay alive too!"

Wang Weihu scratched his head, his tiger ears twitching. "Then I'll do the same as Xiaofei."

His favorite cigarettes and alcohol were all in Little Class Monitor's space. If he had put them in his own Storage Space Card, the higher-ups probably would have confiscated them long ago.

Having Little Class Monitor around really was wonderful.

They truly trusted her, not worrying at all about what would happen if she ran away or died.

Their things really would be gone then.

The little zombie watched the four of them whispering together, quietly discussing what to do.

Her dead body felt warm.

Xu Duoduo suddenly remembered something.

Ever since the grandparents who had adopted her passed away, she had been all alone.

Those three years in middle school had actually been the easiest, happiest time of her life, and the most carefree. All she had needed to do was focus on studying. Somehow, she had become class monitor, and everyone had loved her and treated her well.

After she started high school, her grandfather had fallen ill. She had been busy with school while also helping her grandmother care for him. At first, her grandmother had told her not to worry and to focus on her studies, but later, her grandfather had passed away, and her grandmother had fallen ill too.

Their savings had been drained.

Xu Duoduo had started working part-time while attending university, but in the end, her grandmother had passed away too.

Then that whole area had been redeveloped. She had been forced to leave their little home and move into a new place in K City, only for the apocalypse to arrive not long afterward.

After losing her grandparents, she had actually been lonely all along. Few of her friends were people she could truly confide in, and she only occasionally kept in touch with a few university roommates.

Living together like this, going on missions together, and being together almost every moment was a novel feeling. Their squad was a single whole.

Xu Duoduo felt safe by their side. Although their first encounter had been a little chaotic, everyone was wonderful. Sure enough, people who had been kind to begin with were still kind even after all these years. She felt very lucky.

"Little Class Monitor? Little Class Monitor? Come on, let's go. The weather's looking bad. A typhoon's coming."

"Xu Duoduo? Are you spacing out?"

Little Zombie's rare moment of clarity was abruptly interrupted. "Huh?" she grunted. What had I been thinking about just now? I can't remember.

What was it?

Her mind had stalled.

Seeing her suddenly freeze up, Qin Luo did not know whether to laugh or cry. He turned back and did what he always did, scooping her up under his arm before walking on. "Why'd you suddenly zone out?"

Chen Xiaofei laughed too. "Why does Little Class Monitor look so grumpy?"

Little Zombie really was angry!

She had forgotten something, and it was all their fault! That feeling of losing her train of thought halfway through and being unable to remember it no matter how hard she tried was awful!

Little Zombie could not put it into words.

All she could do was puff up in anger and struggle with a huff, only for Qin Luo to hold her firmly in place. "Hey, stop squirming. See that plastic bag flying up there? If we waste any more time, the five of us will be meeting up in the sky."

The little zombie froze, but before she could answer, Chen Xiaofei eagerly jumped in with a clueless question. "Huh? Why?"

Bai Shu said speechlessly, "Because once the typhoon gets here, it could blow us into the sky."

Wang Weihu suddenly burst out laughing. No one knew what had struck him as so funny.

Chen Xiaofei: ...

They boarded the subway, then hurried out of the station. The sky had visibly darkened, its heavy blackness making it feel as though the heavens and earth were about to collapse. The wind had begun to howl. In any case, they had to hurry.

Fortunately, the subway exit was extremely close to the entrance of their residential complex. They made it into their building just as the rain began to fall. Suddenly, the lights flickered, then the power went out, replaced by dim emergency lighting. The base had begun cutting the power!

The loudspeakers started up as well, and alarms sounded throughout the base.

"Super typhoon Tyrannosaurus is about to arrive. Please do not remain outdoors. Please do not remain outdoors."

"Due to the super typhoon, the jammers on the city walls may be affected. Uncertainty has increased, and attacks by Mutated Birds or insects may occur at any time. All civilian residents, please close your doors and windows securely and remain quiet."

"All combat squads, prepare to carry out rescue operations at any time. Please check your email notifications for your assigned rescue areas."

Hearing this, Qin Luo said, "Well, there goes our sleep tonight. Everyone, stay safe!"

Bai Shu and the other two nodded.

Xu Duoduo also lifted her wooden whistle and blew it once. This time, they would be fighting a defensive battle.

Protect their home!